Beard in Islam
Beard A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks, but not the upper lip, of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. The beard (Arabic: lihya) is defined as the hair which grows on the cheeks and the jaws. It includes the hair of the temples, the growth underneath the lower lip, the hair of the chin, and the hair that grows on the lower side of the jaws. The Islamic Ruling Growing the beard is a wajib (mandatory) for all males who are capable of doing so. This has ample evidence in the Sunnah (traditons, Saying and actions of Prophet Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)), and is the unanimous opinion of the ulemaa (Scholars) of Islam. One should not get misled by the neglecting this. Hadith – Sahih Al Bukhari 7:781, Narrated Ibn 'Umar ®- Allah's Apostle (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) said, "Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard (as it is)." Hadith – Sahih Al Bukhari 9:651, Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri ®- The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) said, "There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not exceed their throats and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes back to the middle of the bow (by itself) (i.e., impossible)." The people asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their sign will be the habit of shaving (of their beards)." (Fatul Al-Bari) A List of Violations Shaving the beard results in a series of Islamic violations, as is obvious from Allah's Book and His Messenger's Sunnah. The following is a list (not necessarily comprehensive) of such violations: a. A Disobedience to Allah Shaving the beard is a disobedience to Allah (Glory be to Him). The ruler of Yemen, appointed by the Persian emperor Kisraa, sent two envoys to the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) to summon him. When they came into his presence, he noticed that they had shaved their beards and grew their moustaches. He hated to look at them (because of their odd appearance) and he said: Woe be to you, who told you to do so? They replied: "Our lord! (referring to Kisraa.)" The Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) then said: But my Lord, may He be exalted and glorified, has commanded me to leave alone my beard and to trim my moustache.by Ibn Jarra-abar (May Allah be pleased with Him), and judged to be Hasan (good) by Al-Albaani. b. A Disobedience To the Messenger Shaving the beard is a disobedience to the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace). In many hadiths, the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) commanded men to leave alone their beards. These different hadiths have a similar meaning: Trim the moustache and save the beard.Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim Obeying the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)in that is equivalent to obeying Allah (Glory be to Him) who said (what means): “He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah”. Qur'an.Surah Nisa 4:80 c. A Deviation from the Appearance and Guidance of the Messenger Shaving the beard is a deviation from the appearance and guidance of the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace). The Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) used to have a large beard Al Muslim. One should strive to imitate him (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)in his practices, as Allah (Glory be to Him)said (what means): In the Messenger of Allah is a good example for you to follow. Qur'an.Surah Ahzaab 33:21 And the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)said: Verily, the best guidance is Muhammad's guidance. Al Muslim d. A Deviation from the Way of Believers Shaving the beard is a deviation from the way of believers. All the prophets Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace), the Sahabah (Prophet's companions, May Allah be pleased with Them All), the great `ulemaa, and the righteous early Muslims of this Ummah (Nation) grew their beards. There is no report of a single one of them ever shaving his beard. Thus, this is their way, and Allah (Glory be to Him) says (in the meaning): Whoever disobeys the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) after guidance has been clarified to him, and follows other than the path of the believers, We shall give to him what he deserves and broil him in hell, which is the worst abode. Qur’an.Surah Nisaa 4:115 e. An Imitation of the Disbelievers Shaving the beard is an imitation of the disbelievers. This has been emphasized in several hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace). For example: Cut the moustaches and grow your beards. Be different from the Magians (followers of a religion that dominated in Persia). Al Muslim Cut your moustaches and leave your beards alone. Be different from the people of the scripture. Al Muslim Be different from the Mushrikin (those who worship other than Allah (Glory be to Him)); trim your moustaches and save your beards.Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim Follow not the whims of those who have no knowledge (of Islam). Qur'an.Surah Jathiyah 45:18 And His Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) said: Whoever imitates a people is but one of them. by Abu Dawood, and judged to be authentic by Al-Albaani f. Changing Allah's Creation without Permission The Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) declared that the women who change what Allah (Glory be to Him) has created (such as removing the hair from their faces or filing their teeth or tattooing their bodies) seeking by that to improve their appearance, are accursed by Allah (Glory be to Him). Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim The hadith mentioned women in particular because they normally seek to beautify themselves more than men. But the warning surely applies to both sexes, because the condition for the curse is declared, and thus the curse applies to anyone who satisfies such condition. Shaving the beard falls under this warning, as it is much worse than the Nam (removal of facial hair) practiced by some women. It involves obeying Satan who said: And I shall tempt them until they change what Allah (Glory be to Him) has created. Qur'an.Surah Nisaa 4:119 g. An Imitation of Women The beard is a major distinction between men and women. Shaving it removes this distinction, and is thus a means of imitating women. The Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) said: “Allah curses those men who imitate the women, and He curses those women who imitate the men.”Al Bukhari h. Shaving the Beard Contradicts the Pure Fitrah (Nature) Allah's Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) mentioned ten qualities as indicative of a good, clean nature Al Muslim. Two of these qualities are to trim the moustaches and to grow the beard. The Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) also tells that every child is born with a clean, pure fitrah, which later may get deformed by the influence of the environment and the up-bringing. Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim. In the footsteps of the disbelievers, many Muslims' fitrah is now, unfortunately, so much deformed that they seem to find a clean-shaven man more handsome and masculine than one with a beard - exactly the opposite of what the Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)declared in the above hadith. This fitrah never changes with time: Allah (Glory be to Him) said (what means): The pure nature according to which Allah has created people. There is no change in Allah's creation. Qur’an.Surah Room 30:30 Conclusion For shaving their beards, some men give the strange excuse that their wives prefer them without one! As if their purpose in this life is to follow the deformed inclinations of their wives instead of the clear-cut commands of Allah (Glory be to Him) and His Messenger (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace)! Others claim that growing their beards results in irritability and scratching. This cannot result from abiding by the pure fitrah, but would result (if true) from neglect of the proper cleaning and washing with wudu as instructed in the Sunnah. And as for those who oppose the order of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace) is a very great admonishment or warning. As Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “So let those who oppose from his (the prophet’s) order, lest fitnah (trail, tribulation) strike them or a painful punishment.” Qur’an.Surah Nur 24:63 Category:Basics of Islam